Vice President for Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement

About the role

The Division of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement (PAE) is seeking a Vice President for Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement who reports to the Senior Vice President for Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement. PAE leads the University’s fundraising and alumni engagement efforts and advances a culture of philanthropy across the University community, including alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff, corporations and foundations, and friends.

Responsibilities

• Plan and implement an integrated individual giving program that maximizes philanthropic support for ERAU, including principal, major, planned, and lead annual giving.
• Partner with Assistant and Associate Vice Presidents and other PAE leaders to develop and achieve annual and campaign fundraising goals, including strategies for sustained donor engagement and outreach.
• Recruit, develop, supervise, and evaluate a high-performing major gifts team; set clear expectations and manage performance against established goals and metrics.
• Actively support the work of gift officers through training, joint visits, and coaching throughout the fundraising process.
• Engage academic and administrative leadership, faculty, and key stakeholders in donor strategy, relationship development, and solicitation planning.
• Lead and support development of high-quality proposals, presentations, and solicitation strategies, including preparing senior leaders to participate in donor meetings and solicitations.
• Lead and coordinate strategies for prospects shared across colleges, or campuses to ensure alignment, clarity, and disciplined execution.
• Maintain awareness of best practices and emerging trends in advancement and evaluate approaches that may strengthen performance and donor engagement at ERAU.
• Contribute to talent planning and management discussions, including identifying gaps, strengthening team performance, and building bench strength.
• Partner with data and reporting teams to define reporting needs, ensure transparency, and support internal and external progress reporting.
• Ensure all fundraising activity is conducted in accordance with University policies, gift acceptance guidelines, and applicable ethical and legal standards; maintain appropriate confidentiality and professional discretion.
• Manage a personal portfolio of principal and major gift prospects with capacity at the $1 million+ level, with emphasis on prospects capable of $5 million+ commitments.
• Lead by example setting visits, delivering proposals and closing philanthropic gifts.
• Ensure gifts are appropriately stewarded through timely recognition, consistent communication, and coordination with donor relations and campus partners.
• Ensure accurate documentation, reporting, and follow-through related to commitments, proposals, gift agreements, and stewardship deliverables.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in advancement, fundraising, or related work, including supervisory responsibility.
• At least 5 years of senior leadership or executive-level experience with demonstrated success leading major gift programs.
• Demonstrated ability to build strong partnerships across a complex organization and engage senior academic and administrative leaders.
• Proven ability to personally cultivate, solicit, and close major and principal gifts, including seven-figure commitments.
• Strong people leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills with a track record of coaching and developing high-performing teams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills a must.
• Available for travel and relationship-building activities that include donor meetings, strategic events, and leadership engagements, including occasional evenings and weekends.